Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) systems employ a type of radar used to create two and/or three-dimensional images of terrestrial regions. SAR uses the motion of an antenna, which is incorporated in a moving platform such as an aircraft or spacecraft, over a target region to provide finer spatial resolution than is possible with conventional beam-scanning radars. The distance the SAR device travels over a target creates a large “synthetic” antenna aperture, which allows for the creation of relatively high resolution images with relatively small physical antennas.
SAR systems have been used for various imaging operations, such as land use monitoring and forest mapping, especially in areas such as rain forests having perpetual cloud cover or otherwise affected by cloud cover and other atmospheric conditions. SAR is able to penetrate cloud cover and thus can be a reliable source of data for creating forest and land maps. This information is useful for, e.g., monitoring deforestation and guiding decisions on locating hydrocarbon exploration and production facilities in forest settings and other sensitive environments.